Berlin
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The most challenging city you’ll ever love

While the name Berlin might still carry echoes of its tumultuous past, the city itself is a spectacular place to visit. Bursting with history, you can waltz under the Brandenburg Gate and place you finger into the bulletholes that testify to the city’s darkest moments. There are dozens of fascinating museums illuminating everything from ancient Islamic art to German filmmaking, even the lamentable habits of the Stasi. Berlin’s skyline mirrors its unusual history. Gleaming modern skyscrapers stand tall against the Fernsehturm, an East German TV tower that was raised with lofty intentions, only to later become a massive relict of the Communist era. You’ll gape in amazement the first time you glimpse “Hollow Tooth" church, with its main spire eerily blasted away, leaving only a sea shell-like curl. While it is impossible to forget the war and its victims on a visit to Berlin, you will also be bowled over by the spirited locals and their infectious passion for diversion. Catch the mayhem of a local pub during a soccer match, or hit any of the countless shopping districts. Once it gets late—very late—the clubs turn up the volume and the remaining locals pour onto the streets to dance until sunrise. You won’t expect to fall for Berlin, but it just might become your favorite European city

I am from Berlin but live in England now. If you are from England you find that everything in Germany - Berlin is so so much cheaper. The bus and train service is great, - cheap, ON TIME, and you never have to wait long. Get a 2,3,4.... days travel pass. That is the cheapest way and you can use it on all busses and trains in and around Berlin. Don't expect too much friendliness. We are not as polite as the british, and we don't like to stay in the queue. Germans love speaking English and are helpful if you ask them for it. The weather has changed a lot. The hot weather seasons are in the summer of course. The spring can be unpredictable. The winters are not as cold as they used to be. In my childhood we had up to minus 20-25 degrees. Now it goes down to may be minus 10-15 degrees. There is so much to see because the Berliner wall is gone and you travel to go to the East part of Berlin. I am not into churches, but if you are, there are plenty to visit. Berlin is very, very multi cultural. In England we have the Indians, in Berlin we got the Turks, Arabs....Compare to England the food in the Restaurants are GREAT and not very expensive. I love our Italian Pizzerias, Yugoslavian Restaurants ( if you love meat), Turkish doner kebab ( cheap and yummy), Chinese, and of course very german Restaurants. We eat lots of meat and Pork. We do the best Wiener Schnitzel ( although it's made from Pork) We have the best cakes in the world ( apart from Austria may be). You need to see: Checkpoint Charlie, the historical Brandenburger Tor. For young people Berlin is great because we are a 24 hour city, not like England were everything shuts down at 11-30pm. The best pubs with live music, lots of irish pubs, great Discotheques to dance till 6 am in the morning. Cafe's where you can sit outside ( thousands). For smokers: if you want to smoke, some restaurants have separate restaurant areas were you can eat and smoke. But you don't get served because the waitresses are not allowed to serve you there. A lots of germans still smoke. They bend the rules with the none smoking far better then in England. You can buy cheap cigarettes in Aldi and Lidl ( around 4,50 Euro). The supermarkets only open to 8 pm- 10 pm maximum. They are much smaller than here in England. You need to go into our bakeries. They are the best. Forget what you know from England!!! We have bicycles you can rent out all over the city. Most shops are closed on sundays. They don't have those great opening hours like in England.

What good is sitting all alone in your room? Come hear the music play... Berlin is a fabulous city; sophisticated, glamorous, and the home of delicious curry wurst. Tony boutiques and hip clubs; bullet holes in building facades.

Hi everybody, right now I am in Berlin. It is an amazing city. Today starts the Berlinale. Yesterday I had the chance to get to know the city thanks to a very good guide, who wrote a book about Berlin and works as journalist and freelance photographer. Here her homepage: www.myberlintour.info Facebook: http://it-it.facebook.com/pages/Visite-guidate-a-Berlino/170357282999993 . I hope these information may be helpful for everyone who desires to visit this town. Independent traveler

Berlin is well funky. Make the effort to stop for a few days. It's inexpensive and bursting with culture (Pergammon Museum a must) and great shopping. Kebabs great. Public transport good. Christmas Markets wonderful. Take your kiddies, stay up all night skating in the street and eating schneeballen!

I was only in Berlin for a day and a half, but that was long enough to get me very excited about the city. What a great mix of, well, everything really. Although it's understandable, it's a pity they got rid of so much recent history though.
Oh, and Berlin is a photographer's paradise! You just can't stop shooting.